chronicles of a girl on the run with her dog

5 Minute Safety Lesson

I recently read on another blog about a woman, Sherry, a wife, mother and runner who was out on her morning run and never came back. I have thought of her (and pray that she is found) all week as I am out running (with my pepper spray!) I wonder if even having that is enough.

Since SAFETY has been one of my HOT topics as well this last week, I thought I’d share one last reminder. These ten safety tips were emailed to me today by my dad. We have probably all seen them before, but PLEASE take five minutes to remind yourself and send to a friend.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!

2. Learned this from a tourist guide. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse,DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you… Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse.RUN LIKE A MOTHER F IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy… The driver won’t see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS!) (I am guilty of this) The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.

If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF,
Repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and RUN. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

a.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat.

b.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

c.) Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side.. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6.ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked ‘for help’ into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird.. The police told her “whatever you do, DO NOT open the door…” The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, “We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.” He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby’s cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby.. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby’s cries outside their doors when they’re home alone at night.

10. Water scam! If you wake up in the middle of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your outside taps full blast so that you will go out to investigate and then attack. Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbors!

Please take this seriously because the Crying Baby Theory was mentioned on America ‘s Most Wanted when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana.

I’d like you to forward this to all the women you know.

Additionally, please read the first comment for even more safety tips.

Great post…Couple of things to add…The thing to remember about almost anyone who would attack a woman is that at heart they are cowards…They want you in a private location, and they don’t want anyone to see…Anything you can do to make them the center of attention will help you…As you toss your wallet/cash in one direction and run in another scream as loud as you can…If you are getting hit don’t shut up, a black eye and some broken ribs are worlds better than what will happen is you go quiet…And when you scream, make sure you scream “fire”…People may ignore screams from the streets because they don’t want to get involved, a fire might burn their house down so they are more likely to call 911 (and a 911 dispatcher who is told that someone is screaming fire will dispatch a police unit with the fire department)…The elbow is an excellent weapon…But ANYTIME you have the chance, go for the eyes…Think about how much an eyelash in your eye hurts…Now imagine a finger jammed in there as hard as it can be…And it doesn’t matter how much you bench press, having your eyes gouged will slow you down considerably…Take a class, learn some simple self defense moves and PRACTICE…You don’t need to be a blackbelt, but if you have practiced what to do when somebody grabs you it will happen automatically if you need it…Finally, and most importantly…Every single time you leave the house remind yourself that you are important to many people…You have people you love, and who love you…You not only have a right, but a responsibility to come home to them every evening…Do whatever you have to in order to make that happen…Remembering that will carry you through a lot…You are worth it…